Hair rinse



Patented June 15, 1937 nam nmsa James C. Brown, Mount Vernon, N. Y., assignor to E. Frederics, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application February 7, 1933, Serial No. 655,619

'1 Claims.

the hair, the more opportunity is offered for deleterious action. On the other hand, it is highly desirable that the deposited substance stay on the hair a long time so that an excessive number of applications is not necessary. Moreover, it is important that the substance employed shall not have a tendency to flatten out a wave previously imparted to the hair. At the same time the substance should be capable of producing the desired brilliance or luster. It is also advantageous for the substance to have the property of fixing not only itself in the hair, but also of fixing a tinting or coloring material.

I have found that while acids, such as tartaric acid, when applied to the hair tend to hydrolyze and attack the protein-like constituents of the hair, in moist air, or when the hair is otherwise wetted, salts of tartaric and citric acid, rather surprisingly, are not only substantially inert with respect to the air but also are capable of satis- 0 fying the other varied and rather conflicting requirements in an even superior manner. That is to say, such neutral salts, notably ammonium tartrate, do not, on the one hand, injure the texture of the hair appreciably or spoil a wave, but do, on the other hand, remain fixed in the hair, apparently in the form of minute crystals deposited in the pores of the hair over comparatively long periods of time while imparting an exceptionally attractive brilliance or luster to the strands. Moreover, such salts, while quite soluble in water, as is important for their application, appear to be very little affected by water when fixed in the hair. I

More particularly, I have found that an admir- 45 able luster may be secured without injury to the hair and with additional permanence of the luster by employing a neutral salt of a weak organic acid, preferably a water soluble ammonium salt 50 of tartaric acid, though salts of citric acid or. the like, conforming to the indicated requirements, may similarly be employed. While I distinctly prefer ammonium tartrate, it will be understood that mixtures of such salts with or without tint- 55 ing orcoloring material may be employed. The

other salts which I have found useful are those which are substantially neutral and in which the negative radical is that ofa weakorganic acid preferably containing four to six carbon atoms and the positive radical is desirably ammonium, 5 though sodium, potassium, ethyl amine, or the like, may be used with some success.

By way of a specific example, I have found that good results may be secured by mixing one part of ammonium citrate with fifteen parts of am- 10 monium tartrate and adding two grams of this mixture to a quart of water. Any suitable quantity of a coloring material adapted to tint the hair may be added to the solution. The rinse may be applied to the'hair in any convenient l5 manner as by pouring it over the hair.

While a concrete example has been given, it will be understood that other substances having the indicated characteristics may be employed and that it is not necessary to use the ammonium to permanently dye the hair but may be any suit- 30 able vegetable coloring or coal tar color, preferably soluble in water. The proportions of such coloring or tinting material which may be employed are well understood and many of such materials are known. Y

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of theinvention claimed. g

I claim:

I. A hair rinse comprising a solution-of a substantially neutral salt of an organic hydroxy polycarboxylic acid containing four to six carbon atoms adapted to become fixed on the hair during application thereof.

2. A hair rinse comprising a neutral salt of tartaric acid adapted to become fixed on the hair in rinsing the same.

3. A hair "rinse comprising ammonium tartrate and a tinting material adapted to become ilxed on the hair in rinsing the same.

4. A hair rinse comprising ammonium tartrate, a relatively small amount of ammonium citrate, and a tinting material adapted to become flxed on the hair in rinsing the same.

5. A hair rinse containing a substantially neutral salt of a weak organic acid of the group consisting of tartaric; and citric acids adapted to be- 10 come fixed on the hair in rinsing the same.

JAMES C. BROWN. 

